World Falls
by Klitch
Summary: When Fai agreed to kill the king, he didn't expect it to be easy. But he didn't expect quite so hard, either. Pre series, slight Ashura x Fai


**World Falls**  
**Chapter One**

Disclaimer: Fai, Ashura, Celes, etc. belong to Clamp. 

Sort-of-warning: This fic will eventually be made AU whenever CLAMP decides to explain Fai's backstory. Until then, I'm willing to have fun speculating. 

Author's Notes: This story was spawned after I read many fics with innocent abused victim Fai and evil manipulative bastard Ashura. While I have nothing against a good evil!Ashura fic, I wanted to try something different -- where Fai's not so innocent, Ashura's not so evil, and in the end it's everyone's fault (and there's minimal crying. I can only take so much crying Fai). And dammit, _someone_ had to write some AshuraFai stuff (even if Ashura himself won't show up for a few chapters. Still. The world needs more AshuraFai that doesn't involve Ashura the Evil Uber-Seme of Doom). 

- 

Ven shifted slightly in his seat as he gestured for another ale. The cold wind could be heard howling outside, the force of it rattling the rotted door. Ven pulled his thick cloak tighter over his shoulders and adjusted the hood, allowing only a few dark strands and his penetrating green eyes to be visible within its shadows. 

"Lestre is late," he murmured softly to the tall man seated beside him. His mouth twisted into a sneer of distaste. "He should know better." 

"He will be here," Caval, his loyal bodyguard, whispered roughly. Ven shook his head and reached for his empty glass. Caval moved as if to speak again, then snapped his mouth shut as the waitress approached, laying a mug filled with steaming liquid in front of Ven. The dark-haired man nodded at her and reached into his cloak, retrieving a small gold coin from within. He pressed it into her palm and motioned her away. 

"Lestre is late," Ven repeated as she walked away. "The man he brings us had best be worth the wait." 

"I'm assured that he is," Caval said. "I trust Lestre's judgment." 

"That makes one of us." Ven held his cup in both hands, staring into the mug. "This is too important a mission to be entrusted to anybody. Our entire plan hinges on this man. Years of work are at stake." He grimaced. "I should've picked the man myself." 

"Lestre will come through," Caval promised. 

"I'll have his head if he doesn't." 

"Master--" Caval started to say something more but was cut off by the rising howl in the wind as the tavern door opened. The copper plate bearing the symbol of King Ashura which hung above the door about swung wildly, tossed by the wind. 

The man who entered the doorway was tall enough that he nearly had to duck to fit through and wide enough that he had to hunch his broad shoulders as he stepped inside. His heavy fur coat hung low and swept across the floor, wet with snow, and much of his face was obscured by a scarf. The bar patrons all glanced up as he entered then turned back to their business. As the big man strode across the floor, few noticed the thin blond man who had appeared just behind him politely shutting the door. Ven signaled the waitress for two more drinks as the two walked over to join him and Caval at the table. 

"You're late," Ven snapped as Lestre sat down in one of the empty chairs, which groaned and creaked under his bulk. His companion settled himself comfortably in the final chair and rested his head in his palms, smiling amicably. 

" 'S a storm," Lestre grumbled, taking off his scarf and shaking the snow out of his black hair. "It's hard going out there, Master Ven." 

"Indeed." Ven's lip curled in distaste. He took a slow drink from his mug, then at last spared a glance for Lestre's companion. "Is this the man?" 

"Fai," the blond supplied. He was poking Lestre's scarf like a small child might poke a hornet's nest. "Fai D. Flowright. Nice to meet you." He was still smiling, which only made Ven glower more. 

"You have been informed of the mission...?" Ven let the question hang. Fai nodded brightly and waved to the waitress as she set two more drinks down on the table. 

"Lestre-san explained." Fai stuck his nose curiously in the mug and made a whimpering noise. "Just tea! I want a _good_ drink." He whimpered again and took a careful sip. Ven and Caval exchanged a slow glance. Lestre shifted nervously in his seat. 

"Caval," Ven murmured, gesturing towards Fai. "Take our guest upstairs to the room and begin discussing the specifics of our job, and of his payment. I will speak with Lestre." 

"Certainly, Master." Caval bowed his head and stood, motioning to Fai. The blond man jumped to his feet and waved to Ven and Lestre before moving to follow Caval towards the stairs. As the two wandered away Ven could hear the blond man asking Caval about the possibilities of getting "a _good_ drink" before the night was over. He waited until the two had disappeared before turning to Lestre. 

"Are you _mad_?" he hissed through gritted teeth. "_That's_ your man? That...idiot? I doubt he could kill a rabbit, much less the prey we're after." He didn't say the name out loud. Even in this gods-cursed tavern in the middle of the smallest, most worthless province in all of Ceres, one did not lightly bring up the subject of regicide. 

"I assure you, Master Ven, he's just what we need." Lestre took a careful sip of his own drink, mulling over how to begin. "You recall that explosion two years ago, in Mireil?" 

"Ten killed, hundreds injured," Ven said slowly. "The magic academy burst into a fireball two days before the king was to visit." His lip curled. "You were arrested, as I recall. For threatening one of the king's personal guard while they investigated the cause." 

"It was a mistake," Lestre said pointedly. "I was drunk, Master, you know that. Any man looks like an enemy when you've had a bit too much ale and besides, while that investigation was on they arrested any man who dared look funny in the direction of the wreckage. They took me to the jail with the rest, which is where I met Fai." Lestre paused and looked around to be certain no one was listening. He leaned over the table and lowered his voice. "It was him, Master. He's the one that blew the place up." 

"Indeed?" Ven couldn't help but feel momentarily intrigued. All the magic academies in Ceres were soaked through with wards and spells. Setting garbage on fire within was a chore. Blowing one up entirely was near impossible. 

"I didn't believe 'im at first," Lestre continued. "He was all burnt up, though, just like he'd been in the heart of the flames. He'd been bleedin', too, but he wasn't hurt bad like he should've been. Just...singed, all over, and laughing like he'd lost his wits entirely. I figure that's why they'd nabbed him. But after we'd been there a couple days he seemed to sober up, and he'd just sit there, humming to himself. Finally he looks over at me and says, 'You wanna see something good?' And he blew the wall. Just touched it, and gave this weird smile that made me wanna get out of the way quick, and then the entire wall was just...rubble. People who were too close to it got hit, too...I got a pretty bad cut from some of the flying debris. And his hand, the one that had touched the wall, it was covered in dirt and ash and there was blood all over it, and he was just laughing like a moron." 

"I'd wondered how you got out so quickly," Ven said slowly. "You say he did it?" 

"He did, Master." Lestre nodded. "After we got out I went with him. He was creepin' me out a bit, but I was curious. So we talked some and I asked how he'd done the school and the wall, and he told me he's got wild magic inside him, boiling around. But he can't control it well, and he'd been wandering around here and there forever, tryin' to find someone who'd help him. If he's not careful, see, it goes out of control. He'd managed to convince the academy in Mireil to let him in even though he didn't have a sponsor and couldn't pay the fees, but they hadn't been able to help, and then something happened -- he wouldn't tell me what, and when I asked he just laughed -- anyway, something happened and he got pissed and then suddenly the place just...went up, without him even trying to do it." 

"So what you're telling me is you've brought me a powder keg that's just as likely to blow me up as he is the enemy?" Ven's eyes were colder than the snow outside. 

"No, Master, not at all!" Lestre said quickly. He swallowed hard. "He's got no love for...our target. You got a good look at him, right? Tall and blond and blue-eyed to boot." 

"So? That's not all that uncommon a coloring. You're trying my patience quickly, Lestre." 

"Three years before King Ashura officially took over Vestra to the west and added it to his lands, there was another smaller country that he swallowed up," Lestre said slowly. "It was never officially announced that the king had taken it, because of the way it was done. They'd been resisting, trying to get back old lands King Ashura's father had taken decades before, and the king's men came in and destroyed the place to bring it under control. You remember? Our man in Corinn told your brother about it before the king's dogs found him and killed him." 

"Kalath." Ven nodded. "I remember it." 

"And most of the people in Kalath have that coloring," Lestre said eagerly. "The blond hair, the eyes. He was _there_, Master. He didn't say it in as many words, but he told me enough to make me sure he was. Burned out his family, destroyed his home...had to have left him with nothing, and no teacher or sage will teach him to rein in that wild magic if he has nothing to offer in return, not even a name. After the school blew he's been workin' as a mercenary for anyone who'll hire him...done a few jobs for me, too. He's the one who guided those ships in for me in Cartington, got 'em past the legal patrols. I'll tell you this Master, he may look like a fool, and he's anything but. He's just the one to pull this off." 

"So you say." Ven looked thoughtfully down at his mug. "I have my doubts still. He's done no work for _me_, Lestre, and you've given me little reason to trust to his loyalty. Perhaps I'd be better simply sending one of my own men...Xin is already prepared to enter the palace..." 

"This man is what we need," Lestre argued. "Xin's a good man, Master, and a better spy. But King Ashura's got wits and he's got magic. Fai, he's got his own wild magic -- maybe stronger than Ashura's even, just not quite in control -- and, well, you saw his face. Looks guileless as a baby bird. The king won't expect an attack from that quarter. He'll do as you wish, Master. He's our man." 

"I am not convinced," Ven replied dully. "You say he's got power, which I have seen none of. I will agree that he does appear to be a fool, and that is a better cover than I could've hoped. But he is not one of my men. He has no loyalty to me, and I find that a problem." 

"But Master--" Lestre began. Ven cut him off with a gesture. 

"_However_, that is also a problem that I believe can be solved. Though my doubts remain, I will trust your judgment on this, Lestre. He will be our man." 

"He won't fail you, Master," Lestre said eagerly as Ven rose from the table. 

"He had better not, or we will all suffer for it." With a sweep of his cloak, Ven turned and made his way up the stairs to his room, Lestre following on his heels like a very large and ungainly puppy. Caval was waiting inside, leaning against a table. Fai sat on the bed, looking innocent as a child. 

"Your name...what was it again?" Ven said slowly, moving to stand in front of the blond man. 

"You can call me Fai," the blond said easily. "My full name's a little long." 

"Hmm. Very well. Caval has informed you of your intended role in my plans?" 

"Caval-san did say something about that." Fai rested his head on his palms. "If you wish to hire me." 

"I do. My man Lestre tells me you are the perfect one for the job." 

"That's nice of him." 

"I am not so convinced," Ven said sharply. "So...I would like us to make a pact, if you will. A blood pact." 

There was a long moment of silence. Fai glanced up at Ven, and this time his eyes were hooded and his smile was slow and serious. 

"I have wild magic." Fai's voice was steady, with a curious undertone to it. 

"I know. That is why I suggested this." Ven pulled an ornate knife out from underneath his cloak and held out an arm. "Under normal circumstances, a blood pact is simply that: a bond of faith between partners via a mixing of blood. But in cases of blood where magic lives..." 

"The pact is binding," Fai recited, like a child repeating his lessons to an expectant teacher. "If the pact is broken, the magic will deal out its own punishment." 

"Exactly." Ven carefully cut into his arm with the knife, allowing the blood to flow freely. "On this matter, I will not waver. I demand nothing less than full loyalty from my subordinates, Fai. This mission is too vital to simply entrust to an untested man. We will make the pact. You will deal with King Ashura to my satisfaction, and in return...whatever you wish shall be yours. If you are successful, the entire treasury of Ceres is at your fingertips." 

Ven offered the knife to Fai. 

"Do you accept this pact?" 

Fai's smile did not waver as he took the knife and cut his own arm. 

"I accept." 

"Excellent." Ven smiled wolfishly as the room glowed momentarily with bluish light, signaling the acceptance of the pact. "We are bound by blood now. I am satisfied." 

"That's good." Fai was still smiling. "In that case, Ven-san, could I have a bandage? The cut hurts. And some ale? We've finished all the serious talk now and I'm _thirsty_." 

Ven regarded Fai intently as Lestre dug into his pack for a bandage. He was beginning to see that his first impression of Fai had been incorrect. Anyone who smiled that much had to be hiding something dangerous behind the expression. 

"Hmm. All right. Caval, go downstairs and order a meal brought up to us. With decent drinks this time." As Caval swept past him, Ven moved closer to Fai and tossed his knife onto the bed beside the blond man. "A gift, for you. The first of many, if you are successful. May the next blood it spills be the king's." 

Fai took the knife and kept smiling. 

-- 

"Just a little favor, Magic-san, just this once," Fai murmured, scratching out a sigil in the snow. The wind blew softly around him and he clutched at the frayed wool coat that was one of his few possessions. Far in the distance he could see King Ashura's castle floating in the air. He supposed it must be a glorious sight from close up, shining like glass with majestic wings spreading out from the sides, but from this distance it made him think of a very mismatched child's toy. 

Fai pulled himself to his feet and clambered back over the top of the hill so that he was peering down at the well-traveled road below. Some ways away he could see soldiers steadily making their way forward. King Ashura's men, making their way home from some conquest or other. They would be past him soon if he didn't hurry. Unfortunately, his magic didn't seem to be cooperating. 

"Just this once," he repeated, sliding back down to the circle he'd drawn in the snow. A tiny bird hopped to and fro within the confines of the circle, cheeping pathetically. Fai drew another magical sigil. 

"It'll be fun, Magic-san," he said in a cajoling tone. "Pretty please?" There was a flash of pain up his arm and along his back that made him wince. His teachers at the Mireil Academy had once told him that magic often had a mind of its own, and when properly controlled could even subtly communicate with its user. They had described it as a light tingling feeling or a soft purr. In Fai's experience, uncontrolled magic was more like being pricked by hundreds of needles. Very very angry needles with tiny mouths and lots of teeth. He found that it was much more comfortable to avoid talking to it or acknowledging it whenever possible, but somehow could never manage to keep it up. Fai liked talking to people, and as he rarely had anyone to talk to he usually settled for talking to his own magic. This generally led to lots of strange looks, but Fai had long learned to ignore those. And on the bright side, he'd found that every once in a while he could even convince the magic to actually do what he wanted it to. 

At the moment, he was trying to convince it to cover the bird (he'd always had good luck in using magic on birds, save once) in the illusion of a man. With the proper clothing, he could mark the illusion as part of one of the rebel factions looking overthrow King Ashura. The illusion would attack the approaching soldiers, and Fai would just happen to stumble upon it and warn them. The soldiers would chase the illusion, and Fai would appear to be the hero, thus gaining himself access to the palace. The only problem with the plan was that his magic didn't seem to want to cooperate. 

"It can be a game," Fai suggested. Another sharp prickle of pain ran down his back. His magic didn't seem to be listening. "Aren't you bored? We haven't done anything fun in a while, right, and you're bored, see, I know I am, so let's do something fun. Please?" 

Fai felt another spike of pain and spots danced before his eyes. He fell onto his hands and knees, palms pressed against the edges of the circle. The circle began to glow and symbols started to appear in the snow. Fai's eyes widened. That wasn't the spell he had been trying to use... 

Captain Marverus motioned for his troops to take a rest as they neared a snow-covered hill. As the soldiers gratefully slid off their horses, the captain steered his horse a ways past the hill and stopped for a moment, taking in the sight of the castle. The campaign in the northern provinces had been a difficult one, but the area was at last securely under King Ashura's rule. The country would be united soon enough and peace would come, and he could be satisfied with the thought that he had been instrumental in bringing that peace. For now, though, he was just content to see the palace. It seemed like he had been away for years. 

"Taking a break, sir?" Vice captain Sepreven reined in his horse beside his captain. He narrowed his eyes in disapproval. "We still have two and half day's journey remaining. Now is no time to rest." 

"You have my permission to lighten up, Vice Captain," Marverus said dryly. "After a long journey, might not a man be glad simply to see his home at last in sight?" 

"The castle's quite large, sir," Sepreven said stiffly. "It's been within sight for last day or so." 

"From here you can almost see the frost settling on its wings," Marverus continued doggedly. "Did I ever tell you how that looks from up close? The time I saw it the ice shimmered like jewels on the--" 

"But you can't quite see it from here, so I do not see the point in this rest stop _or_ in your anecdote," Sepreven said. After a moment he hastily added, "Sir." 

"Nature can be its own reason, Vice Captain." 

"You were talking about a man-and-magic made castle, sir. Once more I fail to see your point." 

Marverus ran a hand through his long reddish-brown hair and sighed. 

"Sepreven, there are times when a captain simply needs to pause and allow himself and his troops to--" He was cut off by the sound of a large explosion. From where they stood smoke could be seen rising up from atop the hill. 

"What in all the hells..." Marverus swore and turned his horse around, heading back towards where the rest of his troops were resting with Sepreven right behind him. They were immediately met by one of the soldiers coming to retrieve them. 

"What's happened?" Marverus swung off his horse as the soldier ran up to him. 

"Some sort of explosion, sir," the soldier reported breathlessly. 

"Yes, we can see that," snapped Sepreven, still mounted. 

"I believe someone was laying a trap for us, sir," the soldier continued, ignoring his vice captain. "We saw a man fleeing the area. He was wearing the mark of the Duke of Similis." 

Marverus swore again. Ashura's troops had brought Similis under the king's control only recently. The disposed duke of the province had escaped sometime during the fighting and was rumored to be raising a resistance force in secret. 

"We've already sent men after him," the soldier continued as Marverus turned to address Sepreven. "And, sir, there's a civilian--" 

"A civilian?" Marverus paused, looking back at the soldier. 

"Yes, sir. He seems to be the one who set off the explosion, sir, when he ran across the man plotting to ambush us. One of his hands is injured something bad." 

"Sepreven, go help the troops searching the area," Marverus ordered. The vice captain nodded and motioned his horse forward. Marverus turned to the soldier. "Take me to the injured man. I want to know exactly what happened." 

"Just as I said, sir," the soldier replied as the two walked towards where the rest of the troop had stopped. "We were all standing around taking a moment to rest when we heard that explosion and a man came tumbling down the hill, trailing blood all the way. We looked up towards the smoke and saw another man gazing down at us -- he ran away real quick when he saw we'd noticed him. Lieutenant Cheng grabbed a few men and went after him, and sent me to tell you what had happened. We think it might've been an ambush that went foul." 

"And the man who fell down the hill?" 

"The field medic's looking at him now." 

Marverus nodded and allowed himself to be led to where the rest of his men waited. Most were already on their feet keeping watch over their surroundings in the event of another attack. The soldier quickly led him to the back of the company, where the field medic waited. A tall blond man in tattered clothes was sitting on the lone supply wagon, swinging his legs as the medic attempted to see to his injury. The medic turned and saluted as his captain strode up. 

"Is this the man?" Marverus asked. The stranger smiled brightly up at him. 

"Fai," he supplied. "Nice to meet you. Ouch!" He whimpered as the medic poured some salve over his wounded hand. "That _hurt_." 

Marverus craned his head to get a look at the injury. The hand was bloody and he could see burns forming on the skin. 

"You're the one who warned my troops?" Marverus said, looking back up at Fai. 

"I guess you could say that." Fai cocked his head and looked thoughtful. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" 

"Well...aah, that _hurts_ so _much_," Fai pulled his hand away as the medic tried to treat it again. "You're mean!" 

"Do you want to keep that hand or not?" the field medic growled irritably, clearly getting quickly tired of his patient's antics. 

"I believe you should let him take care of your hand," Marverus said, gently but firmly. "...Fai, was it? My man is well versed in treating injuries. He won't do you any harm." 

Fai shifted in his seat and reluctantly offered his injured hand to the medic again. 

"Now, tell me how this happened," Marverus said. "How did you come upon the ambush?" 

"I was looking for work," Fai said, grimacing a little as the medic began bandaging his hand. "I'd heard that there was lots and lots in the town by the castle, so I was on my way there." 

"On foot?" Marverus raised an eyebrow. "And with no supplies?" 

"I don't have the money for a horse." Fai shrugged. "And not much for supplies. I was buying it as I needed it." 

"I see. Go on." 

"So I was walking," Fai said dutifully, "and I saw all your soldiers ahead and I didn't want to get in your way, see, so I tried to take a shortcut over the hill. But when I got behind the bushes at the top I saw this man there with funny clothes and he was writing something in the snow. I thought maybe he fell and hurt himself or something and I went over to see if I could help, and suddenly he threw out his arm and yelled at me to go away or he'd hurt me. But I was curious and I wanted to see what he wrote so I leaned over to touch it because it looked so strange, and then it went boom." Fai made a grand gesture with his good hand. "Like that. And my hand suddenly hurt and the blast sent me down the hill where I ran into you people." 

"Did you get a good look at what he was doing in the snow?" 

"It looked strange." Fai shrugged again. "Like a magic spell." 

"You know magic?" 

"I know what it looks like." Fai's smile was bleak. 

"That was brave of you to try and look at it when the man had warned you away." 

"I was curious. I thought he was just bad-tempered and didn't like me. Sometimes people don't. I'm not sure why." Fai smiled innocently and the medic snorted. 

"So you went to look and made his spell go off prematurely," Marverus said. 

"I guess." 

"Captain!" Any further questions were stalled by the arrival of Vice Captain Sepreven and two other men. 

"Did you find anything?" Marverus asked him. 

"Whoever the man was, he seems to have disappeared," Sepreven stated. "I have more men combing the area, but he seems to be gone. They did find this, however." Sepreven held out a jeweled knife for Marverus to expect. 

"Hmm. This is not a good sign. The king will have to be informed." Marverus tucked the knife into his belt and faced Sepreven again. "Have the rest of the troop prepared to move out. I want scouts sent ahead to be certain there's no more nasty surprises waiting for us." Sepreven saluted smartly and left, calling out orders as he went. Marverus turned to look back at Fai, who was examining his newly bandaged hand. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with us to the castle." 

"Hmm?" Fai gave him a politely curious look. 

"This is a serious situation, and I'm afraid we may need to question you more extensively," Marverus explained. "If all happened as you've said, you should be fine. And if you need work, there is plenty available in the castle. It pays well, I'm told, and it would be a roof over your head at any rate." 

"That's fine. I don't have anything else to do anyway," Fai said lightly. "I've never been in a flying castle before." 

"Not many have," Marverus said, smiling slightly himself. "You'll have to ride in the cart for now; I'll see about getting you a horse." He eyed Fai's tattered coat. "And maybe some decent clothes. It only gets colder the higher you climb towards the castle, and you'll need something warmer than that. But for now, feel free to rest here while we prepare to move out." 

"All right." Fai waved as Marverus walked off with the field medic in tow, the latter grumbling about uncooperative patients. Once he was alone, Fai allowed himself to drop back tiredly against the wall of the cart. He glanced down at his injured hand, then looked back up at the clear sky. 

_Things didn't go quite as planned, but that's fine. It all worked out anyway. _Fai allowed himself a small, true smile and closed his eyes. Mission one, accomplished. 

High above, a small bird circled briefly overhead and flew away. 


End file.
